Emerging Women

I was the new kid precisely once when I was young and remained so for my entire youth. When I was a baby my parents moved from their hometown areas in Massachusetts to Kansas. When I was six we moved back to the restrictive confines of New England and an insular small town in Vermont. My parents remain in that small town and are still considered new comers … 40 years later! (Psst … do not do the math … I’m hiding my age )

Fortunately for me that was my one and only experience of not quite belonging. I have spent the rest of my life being pleasantly surprised by the capacity of people to incorporate new friends into their midst. I went to college and blew out my horizons by studying political science and international studies. So I went to Washington DC to change the world or become a foreign services employee. Instead I met my husband … became ADD and have done some very different things over the course of our 20 year marriage (do not do the math).

I was raised in a family where God was not that important. We didn’t go to church and my parents still tend to believe that faith is a crutch for those who are mentally weak in some manner. I’m the oldest of three children and fight my bossy-big-sister tendencies all the time. And I know there are some who might say that this faith of mine began in some sense as a rebellion against my parents. Sobeit. God takes our sacrifices no matter how meager and uses them to change us.

I began my journey of faith in an Evangelical Free Church in the very early 90′s. I’ve been a Sunday School teacher, a youth worker, a Bible Study teacher, a small group leader, and house church leader. We left that church 2003 for many different reasons that are all too lengthy to list here. It’s an unhealthy church. We now refer to it as the Church we Left Behind (CLB).

We’re now part of an emerging community of faith. I’m part of the group that plans and organizes our worship experience each Sunday. I get to teach and lead worship every so often, which is to say, when it’s a subject that I’m passionate about. Being a part of this community takes so much more intentionality, transparency and basically hard work … but the reward is occasional glimpses of the Kingdom. That makes it all worthwhile.

Yes, I have a blog which you’re welcome to visit as you wish. I write there under the penname aBhantiarna Solas, which means Lady of Light in Celtic. I’m looking forward to listening more here, and chiming in occasionally. I’ve promised some book reviews on women in ministry and those will begin popping up here and there. You may promptly beat them down in a virtual game of Whack-A-Mole. But … enough about me …

Okay, so I know that its overdone and pops up in every group, but I thought it would be fun to share our Myers-Briggs types. Our church’s leadership team was discussing our types tonight and it lead to some fun discussions. If for some reason you haven’t already taken this test 50+ times (or haven’t taken it recently since you can change) you can take it here. And you can read descriptions of the personality types here. It’s a fun personality test because so many people know it and can understand it.

So if you want to play and get to know one another better join in. Post your type and any parts of the description that you think best describe you. If you want share how your personality has affected your faith/ministry or how you approach the gender issue.

Hey all – Jenelle has also posted her entry in the recent blog tag game. Get to know her better by reading it here.

If anyone else has played send me the links!

(Painting is by an unknown artist, early 19th century)

Since many of us are probably quite involved with both church and family in the coming several days, I wanted to post a greeting to all the Emerging Women participants. May God bless you and make you a great blessing as we celebrate the birth of the Savior!

Peace,
Psalmist

In England, (and maybe in this country, in some parts,) “merry” refers to being slightly and good-naturedly drunk. It got me to wondering about the drinking habits of emergent women on this blog. Will we all be having a MERRY Christmas….

I’m curious, so here’s the official question: Do you ladies drink? If so, how often, and how much? Think of it as an informal survey.

Happy Holidays!
or Cheers! as the case may be.

Given the sudden drop off in posting here, I’m assuming that most of you are at least as busy as I am. The expectations of the season always seem to take over no matter how hard we try to simplify. When it reaches midnight and one is still dipping peanut butter balls in chocolate the whole sanity thing comes into question. So I wish everyone blessings in the busyness and pose some fun and easy topics for discussion.

What are you making for Christmas? Share those recipes for those dozens and dozens of cookies you are creating. Share the memories of the food. Share your mishaps and funny stories (click here for my chocolate crap adventure from last year…). I wish I could sit down with all of you over spiced wine and appetizers and chat, but we’ll have to settle for a virtual EW holiday party. So let’s be foodal and get to know each other better over food.

And as a reminder – the book discussion for God’s Politics by Jim Wallis starts on Friday. Even if you haven’t finished it yet, you are welcome to join the conversation.

This message is timeless- enjoy!

(From http://www.carols.org.uk/ring-out-loud-bells-tennyson.htm)

Ring out, wild bells – Christmas Poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Miniature Biography_Alfred, Lord Tennyson _Nationality – English _Lifespan – 1809 – 1892_Father – Reverand George Clayton Tennyson, Clergyman_Educated – Trinity College , Cambridge_Career – Poet and dramatist

copied from this website:http://www.carols.org.uk/ring-out-loud-bells-tennyson.htm